As the country gets to grips with tackling the Coronavirus, life as we know it is going to significantly change for a while. With people being encouraged to work from home and families self isolating if one person shows symptoms, there are plenty of guides out there designed to help you concentrate on your work and stop you from climbing the walls during this temporary confinement.
But while it’s a great idea to set up a work station, stick to normal office hours and take up a new hobby – it’s also a great idea to make sure that you stay safe while you’re doing all of this. Here are a few tips from Electrical Safety First to help you.
Charge Your Devices Safely
The Electrical Safety First team is working from home and we’re keeping in contact with each other through our laptops and mobiles. Whether you’re working or trying to keep the children entertained, as the batteries run down there’s going to be a lot of charging going on.
- Always charge your devices on a hard, flat surface. Never leave them on a bed, sofa or other flammable surface as they can overheat and cause a fire that could take hold very quickly and have devastating consequences.
- Use the right charger for the right product – that’s one provided by the manufacturer. Don’t be tempted to pick up a cheap spare online. They may not be compatible and often contain substandard or counterfeit parts.
- Don’t overload sockets. If you’re plugging more devices in than usual, use our socket calculator to make sure that you’re not putting yourself at risk. And don’t “daisy chain” adaptors (that means plugging one into another) – if you can’t reach the socket, move your workstation closer!
Our guide to safe home working has more tips:
Watch What You Heat!
The supermarkets might be running low on stock, but hopefully you’ve got enough supplies to keep you going. But with over half of accidental domestic fires starting in the kitchen, be careful when you’re preparing lunch that you don’t get distracted by a phone call or an email and forget what’s cooking until it’s too late.
But, as we always advise you to never leave washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers running when you’re asleep or out of the house, this is the perfect time to catch up with some laundry! Find out more about keeping your white goods safe at www.whitegoodsafety.com
Shop Safe!
As we’re all watching our pennies and stuck at home for the foreseeable future, it could be very tempting to pick up an electrical bargain online to help pass the time. But, make sure you know who you are buying from. There are a lot of third party sellers on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay and unfortunately a lot of them are selling counterfeit and substandard products. While it’s disappointing to find you have bought a fake handbag, the biggest risk is that it could fall apart. A fake electrical product could be deadly. Find out more about safe shopping online and also download our Chrome plug-in that will let you know when you are browsing a third party seller on Amazon and eBay.
Here's some more advice to keep the family safe while you're at home together:
You'll find plenty of information on our website to help you stay safe, so have a look around!
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